Schock continues to back Romney for GOP nomination

Mitt Romney's victories in Iowa and New Hampshire presidential contests are a great sign for his campaign and eventual nomination for the presidency, U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock said Monday.

The fact that Romney could win in relatively conservative Iowa, moderate New Hampshire and be polling as well as he is in deeply conservative South Carolina shows his broad-based appeal, the Peoria Republican and Romey supporter said.

Chris Kaergard

Mitt Romney's victories in Iowa and New Hampshire presidential contests are a great sign for his campaign and eventual nomination for the presidency, U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock said Monday.

The fact that Romney could win in relatively conservative Iowa, moderate New Hampshire and be polling as well as he is in deeply conservative South Carolina shows his broad-based appeal, the Peoria Republican and Romey supporter said.

And while he didn't presume to take credit for Romney's narrow win in the Iowa caucuses, he said he thought his campaigning for the former Massachusetts governor in the days leading up to the vote there helped.

"I like to think I'm worth at least eight votes," he said while smiling, referencing Romney's margin of victory.

Locally, Schock said he's focusing on U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling's chances for a successful re-election now that the latter's 17th Congressional District has been redrawn to include roughly the southern half of Peoria, southern Peoria County and parts of East Peoria, Pekin and the towns in between.

Schock returned a compliment Schilling paid him during a visit to the Journal Star's editorial board last week, saying the freshman Republican from Colona has been a "very hard worker" and "a good partner with me" who has served as a moderate and reasoned voice within the GOP caucus.

He argued that the conventional wisdom that Schilling may be in more danger in his new, Democrat-leaning district is likely flawed, Schock said the "new congressional district is no more Democratic than his current district," where Schilling won by a wide margin over incumbent Democratic Rep. Phil Hare in 2010.

That district has been held up for the last decade by political reformers in Illinois as one of the most geographically gerrymandered to partisan advantage.

In the 16th Congressional District, Schock made it clear that he is throwing his support in a contested Republican primary behind freshman Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Manteno - "a rising star of the party" - rather than 20-year congressional veteran Don Manzullo. Kinzinger got his political start serving on the McLean County Board and was prominent among the freshmen lawmakers backed by the tea party movement.

That district takes in all of Putnam County as well as the northern part of Stark County and all of LaSalle and Bureau counties.

Chris Kaergard can be reached at 686-3135 or ckaergard@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisKaergard